Suicide & Self Harm
Micha Lawry on Pixy
Suicide & Self Harm
Micha Lawry on Pixy
If you or someone you know is planning suicide right now please call The Samaritans first on 116 123.
What is Suicide?
Suicide is serious. It cannot be undone. It is always a choice, never a necessity. Suicide is the choice and intentional action of ending your own life.
There is no rule about why some people decide to end their life, but some people are more susceptible to suicidal thoughts if they are suffering from depression, schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder. Misusing drugs and significant life events can also make some people more vulnerable.
Useful Resources
Samaritans – 116 123
http://www.samaritans.org/
Project;
https://projectsemicolon.com/
Young Minds – 08088025544
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-helpline/#parents-helpline
What is Self-Harm?
Self-harm is a way of coping with or expressing overwhelming emotional distress. Sometimes people intend for themselves to die but mostly people wish to punish themselves, express their distress or relieve unbearable tension. There are many ways in which people can intentionally harm themselves:
- Cutting or burning their skin
- punching or banging themselves
- poisoning themselves (including drinking, smoking and illegal drugs)
- scratching and hair pulling
- inserting or swallowing objects
Why do people self-harm?
There is no rule about why some people choose to harm themselves and often people don’t really know why but they do know they are struggling. By asking for help they are taking the first step to getting better.
Some people have described self-harm as a way to:
- Express something that is hard to put into words
- make experiences, thoughts or feelings that feel invisible into something visible
- change emotional pain into physical pain as it is easier to bear
- reduce overwhelming emotional feelings or thoughts
- have a sense of being in control
- escape traumatic memories
- stop feeling numb, disconnected or dissociated
- create a reason to physically care for yourself
- express suicidal feelings and thoughts without taking their life
- communicate to other people that you are experiencing severe distress
- to punish themselves
